Axel, a 5-year-old, 94-pound male German shepherd, is rated one of the best working dogs in the world. Recently he was judged the "top dog" in the protection phase of the International Schutzhund Championship in Tengen, Germany. Axel's superb performances in world competition are due to the efforts of his trainer and owner, Renee Lancaster, an animal health technician at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis. Lancaster is on the fast-track to becoming one of the best schutzhund dog trainers in the world, based on her award-winning performances in national and international competition, according to Dean Calderon, a professional schutzhund expert. In addition to training Axel for international events, Lancaster trains K-9s for various law enforcement departments, including that of UC Davis. Top-performing schutzhund dogs are more exacting, precise and balanced than most protection-trained police dogs, according to Lancaster. For this reason, many police departments purchase dogs with schutzhund titles because their working ability has been thoroughly tested, she says.